Jim Huetter ’69 is part of the Class of 2026 Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Posted by Christopher Byrd on 2026-08-03
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It may not be in the traditional sense, but Jim Huetter is widely recognized as a three-sport superstar.

Huetter was a competitive bicycle racer on the international stage at the highest levels. He represented the United States in 1970 at the World Championships in England, and again the following year at the Pan-American Games in Colombia. He was a member of the USA’s Olympic long team in 1972. He also participated in the 1974 Tour of Ireland 8-day, 9 stage competition, and in 1975 he was a member of Team USA team at the Rapport tour.

In the early 1970s, he was a member of Raleigh Century Road Club of America (CRC of A), a premier U.S. cycling team which was considered one of the best US teams of that era. Huetter and his fellow Raleigh members received Special Recognition from the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame.

Huetter, the son of the legendary official the late Al “Whitey” Huetter, began his basketball officiating career as a 16-year-old, refereeing local hoops games. He climbed the basketball ranks and became one of the most respected basketball officials in the nation. He went from high school to junior college, and NCAA Divisions 3, 2, and 1 before working as an NBA official from 1989-91. He returned to Division I, where he worked for nearly a quarter century. In 2001 he was named the MAAC Official of the Year and earned spots on the referee crews for both the NIT and NCAA tournaments. He became the Supervisor of Officials for NJCAA Region 3 and ECAC Division 3 for nearly 30 years. He also served in the role of Officials Observer from 2007-2013 for the NBA at all Toronto Raptors games.

In addition to his work on the hardwood, Huetter is also a respected official in the NFL. He began on the field, working on the chain gang, before being recruited by the NFL to move to the press box to operate the play clock – and he hasn’t missed a game in more than 30 years. Shortly after, he was promoted to crew chief, responsible for a team of 10+ people, including the chain crew, sideline video replay, and clock operators. Huetter’s Buffalo crew has been selected to work 14 playoff games at sites around the league over the past 20 years, including Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, AZ.

If you are interested in attending the induction ceremony or want more information on the Hall of Fame, visit https://www.buffalosportshallfame.com/.

Congratulations, Jim! 🐯

Michael “Duke” McGuire ’70 is part of the Class of 2026 Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Posted by Christopher Byrd on 2026-07-31
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From the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Website:

Duke McGuire was a three-sport star at Amherst High School, earning ten varsity letters and seven first team all-star selections. While he excelled in soccer and basketball, his true legacy has been built in and around the sport of baseball.

McGuire continued his baseball career at Cornell University. He was drafted three times and turned pro when he was selected in the first round by the Detroit Tigers. He played three seasons professionally, including one year for Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland, before injuring his back in spring training.

In 1978, he was a player-manager and team MVP in the New York Penn League for the Niagara Falls Pirates. He joined the legendary Voyageurs MUNY AAA team that won 14 straight league titles. That team, with ex-big leaguers Joe Charboneau and Joe Hesketh, barnstormed the country in the ’70s and ’80s and won the National Baseball Federation Championship in 1979.

When professional baseball returned to Buffalo in 1979, McGuire became a fixture with the Bisons organization. He joined the broadcast team, served as the director of Public Relations and Marketing, and then as the team’s public address announcer from 1981-95. In 1996, he became the team’s broadcast color commentator, a role he has held for more than 30 seasons. He also served as the Bisons youth baseball coordinator, and ran the team’s camps and clinics at Sahlen Field, and in local parks.

McGuire also played a key role securing “The Natural” in Buffalo by providing the first tour of War Memorial Stadium to the individuals scouting for a location to shoot the film. He made his silver screen debut, playing alongside Robert Redford in the classic film.

McGuire served as an assistant to the Dean of Students at Amherst High School for 40 years. He has also been a fixture in high school sports and has coached baseball, girls basketball, and football at Amherst and Williamsville South high schools. He remains involved in high school athletics as an announcer, timekeeper, and supervisor at a variety of athletic contests.

Each year Amherst High School presents The Duke McGuire Award to a student athlete who displays compassion and acceptance to those less fortunate. He is an inductee of the Western New York Amateur Baseball Hall (1988) and the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame (2010). In 2025 the Bisons marked his service to the organization by naming the “Duke McGuire Home Broadcast Booth” in his honor.

If you are interested in attending the induction ceremony or want more information on the Hall of Fame, visit https://www.buffalosportshallfame.com/.

Congratulations, Duke! 🐯

Two ACHS Grads Part of Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Posted by Christopher Byrd on 2026-07-31
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Two Tigers are part of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026!

They are Clay Pasternack ’68 and Michael Lee Jackson ’80.

Congratulations! 🐯

More info can be found at: https://www.bmhof.org/

Memorial Celebration for Susanna Lunsford, a Longtime Windermere Blvd. School Teacher, July 11th

Posted by Christopher Byrd on 2026-07-06
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Memorial celebration for Susanna Lunsford, a Longtime Windermere Blvd. School Teacher Saturday, July 11 at 1:00 at
Trinity Episcopal Church, 371 Delaware Ave. Buffalo 14202.

Original obituary: https://www.amherstalumni.org/class_profile.cfm?member_id=7396942

Adrian Bonsey ’15 – 06/10/2026

Posted by Christopher Byrd on 2026-06-22
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A US Army 3rd Infantry Division soldier died Wednesday during a training exercise at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., the service said Thursday. Spc. Adrian Bonsey, 29, of New York, was a combat engineer assigned to the 9th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, based in Fort Stewart, Ga. He had just arrived at Fort Stewart, the service said.

Adrian’s service will be at the Forest Lawn Chapel and Forest Lawn Cemetery at 11am Friday 6/26/26.  If you plan to attend, the director of Forest Lawn recommends you enter the Delavan and Delaware entrance and follow the white line to the chapel.  

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2026-06-11/soldier-dies-training-exercise-fort-irwin-21938611.html
Source – Stars and Stripes

“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, teammates, and all those who had the privilege of serving alongside him. The loss of a Soldier is felt across our entire formation, and we stand together in honoring Adrian’s life, service, and sacrifice,” the 3rd Infantry Division said in a Facebook post.